Immigration lawyers, especially the best, earn their pay by giving you results. That’s the whole point: getting your green card or U.S. citizenship. How much is that worth?

Figure that with a green card you are not only allowed to live in the U.S.,but also study and work. Consider that citizens of the  U.S. are eligible for work benefits, can vote, and can serve in  the  armed forces. Some of these may sound small, but they are in fact priceless opportunities.

If you can live and work in the U.S., you have more options  than  the majority of the world. You are eligible for the best jobs in the world, you have the most rights, and you can be vocal in your opinions by voting. Some of these things can be argued, but simply put, successful immigration to the U.S. gives you opportunities.

So let’s get back to the question of the title, what does an immigration lawyer do?

Assist Clients in Crisis
If you are in a crisis situation where you feel you might be deported because of breaking laws, or you fear for your rights in some other way, an experienced immigration lawyer is your best option. He or she can protect your rights, help you navigate laws, and fight for your right to fair treatment.

Refuge and Asylum Applications
Another service immigration lawyers do is help clients apply for refugee and asylum applications. If you want to apply for asylum you often need to work with a human rights organization. An immigration lawyer can help with this. Also, if you escaped  a country and are now in the U.S., you still have the option to apply for asylum status.

Assistance for Businesses
If you’re interested in working with a U.S. company but are a resident of another country. In this case,the business will often pay for the immigration lawyer, sometimes hiring a specialist for all their out-of-country hires.

Green Cards
If you want a green card, an immigration lawyer is invaluable. Over 1 million new immigrants were made permanent residents in 2009. However, many are rejected every year too. If you”re unsure of eligibility, you may want to hire an experienced immigration lawyer to help. If you have been rejected, you can try again. There are many ways to get a green card, but if you aren’t eligible, it won’t matter.

Citizenship
The dream of many is to do more than live and work in the U.S.,but to also live here permanently. It’s easy to see why: state of life, jobs, rights,and education are some of the best in the free world. In 2009, over 1 million immigrants were also naturalized, becoming U.S. citizens. However, it’s very hard to do so without an experienced lawyer, especially if you are not a permanent resident (most immigrants are first permanent residents and then naturalized).

Questions
One of the most important jobs of an immigration lawyer is to answer any and all questions pertaining to this process. How long will it take to get your green card? What if you fail to renew your green card?  What are your chances of earning U.S. citizenship? An experienced immigration lawyer saves you time and money by answering these questions.

Laws
An immigration lawyer also helps you know, understand, and follow the laws of the United States. This is very important. For example, if you’re a permanent resident but are charged with a felony, you may be deported. If you are living illegally in the U.S., you  need to immediately make some decisions. An experienced immigration lawyer can help with these problems and more.

How to Hire One
How do you hire an immigration lawyer? It’s the same when you look to find a job: you query several. You look for experience. You look for someone who spends a lot of time helping immigrants just like you.